UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced sugarcane processing was up during the first half of September. Domestic ethanol sales and export sales were also up significantly during the two-week period.
Mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 45.97 million metric tons of sugarcane during the first half of September, up 6.94% when compared to the same period of last year. Total sugarcane milling since the start of the current harvest season, which began April 1, reached 450.01 million metric tons, down 3.68% when compared to the same period of the previous year.
Mills in the region produced 2.33 billion liters (615.52 million gallons) of ethanol during the first half of September. Production included 1.46 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 9.68%, and 875.4 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 4.35%. Corn ethanol production was at 390.13 million liters, up 15.97%, and accounting for 16.74% of total ethanol production during the two-week period.
Total ethanol production since the beginning of the current harvest season reached 20.81 billion liters, down 9.5%. Production included 13.02 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 11.36%, and 7.79 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 6.21%. Corn ethanol accounted for 4.12 billion liters, up 19.43% when compared to the same period of last year.
Mills in the region sold 1.56 billion liters of ethanol during the first half of September. Sales included 599.05 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 25.89%, and 963.62 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 13.425.
Domestic sales for the first half of September included 864.79 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 5.89%, and 587.19 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 23.4%. Mills in the south-central region also exported 110.7 million liters of ethanol during the two-week period, up 235.7%. Exports included 98.84 million liters of hydrous ethanol and 11.86 million liters of anhydrous ethanol.
Total ethanol sales since the start of the current harvest season reached 15.98 million liters, down 1.6%. Sales included 10.06 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 4.62%, and 5.92 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 3.99%.
